Unicaja and Lenovo Tenerife will play this afternoon (5:00 p.m.) the game that nobody wants to playr, that of those defeated in the semifinals of any competition. Consolation revenge of the recent final of the Copa del Rey between two teams that know each other perfectly and that have turned their intense clashes into a classic of the Endesa League.
Next (8:00 p.m.) will be the final between Hapoel Jerusalem and Telekom Bonn, the executioners of the aforementioned Spanish teams. Beyond the sports incentive of watching a good basketball game, the show will be in the stands with the presence of more than 2,000 fans of the Hebrew team. One of the most massive displacements that are remembered in Malaga in support of a team. The Hapoel stalwarts gave an animated recital rarely seen. No silences. Without being discouraged and with spectacular organized and multicolored choreography with a repertoire of different songs. It seemed that we were in an Israeli pavilion because hardly any other fans were heard. As a curiosity, in the final minutes of their game against Tenerife the Telekom fans chanted “Hapoel, Hapoel!”. The winner of this match will pick up the baton from the previous king of the BCL, Lenovo Tenerife.
parallel misfortunes
The defeats of Unicaja and Lenovo had many points in common. The people from Malaga started 20-11. They collapsed, reacted because their opponent broke down and missed the winning triple that Kendrick Perry missed. Three quarters of the same thing happened with the islanders. They started with a promising 26-19 that the Hebrews turned around until they were 15 points ahead that Txus’ men came back to overcome. Rowing to die on the shore with another definitive triple not scored by a specialist, Fitipaldo. This is sport. This duel for the bronze medal also has extra money at stake to complete winnings that is not bad either. 200,000 and 140,000 euros for whoever is third and fourth, respectively.
This may be the first stone of a torrent of confrontations to come.. Next week (Sunday 21 at 12:30 p.m.) they will meet again at the MartÃn Carpena in a match with fourth place at stake. The people of Tenerife won the first leg, 91-84, with a stellar performance by Jaime Fernández and Shermadini. And they will meet again in the playoff qualifiers for the title.
The BCL has at least recognized the good role of these two teams. Unicaja has DarÃo Brizuela in the ideal quintet, in the second elite five Perry and Alberto Dayz as best defender. The Lenovo also has in the quintet of stars Marcelinho and in the second, to shermadinYo.
ending with incentives
Hapoel-Telekom Bonn can be a game that will dazzle basketball lovers. If the Israelis have the endorsement of their tremendous fans, the Germans have Short’s weapons, the tremendous American point guard who made life miserable for Unicaja… although he almost gave it to him when he missed the two free throws that preceded the triple not scored by Perry. Both teams have a series of notable players such as Carrington, Randolph, Hawkins, the Chilean Sebastián Herrera, etc. A good final, unfortunately, without Spanish teams.